Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

How can they still say nothing?

999 replies

Purplegurple · 29/12/2021 19:07

So numbers today over 183,000. How can BoJo and his cronies still be making no statement? No clear guidance, nothing. I'm not wanting lockdown or anything but can't believe they're so quiet over all this.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
toomuchlaundry · 29/12/2021 23:48

Do posters really just want the school buildings open, they don’t care that sub standard education may be provided due to lack of qualified staff. How long will they be happy for that to continue?

Vulnerable children come in many shapes and sizes. It’s not just those who come from abusive households. What about those who need 1:1s, specialist interventions, diabetes trained staff? Some random adult drafted in to make up ratios won’t cut it for these children

hamstersarse · 29/12/2021 23:54

@toomuchlaundry

Do posters really just want the school buildings open, they don’t care that sub standard education may be provided due to lack of qualified staff. How long will they be happy for that to continue?

Vulnerable children come in many shapes and sizes. It’s not just those who come from abusive households. What about those who need 1:1s, specialist interventions, diabetes trained staff? Some random adult drafted in to make up ratios won’t cut it for these children

You talk as though remote learning was in anyway optimal. And that’s for any child right across the spectrum - it was a disaster for all children

Schools are better open than remote learning, absolutely. That’s only if you put children first of course, and not teachers

Hercisback · 29/12/2021 23:57

And that’s for any child right across the spectrum - it was a disaster for all children

Another lie, some students thrived during online learning.

"Put children first" is such unnecessarily emotive language. Surely 'work together to ensure all people in school are as safe as possible' is better.

Krabapple · 29/12/2021 23:58

It’s the strain on the infrastructure that’s the issue. Dd is off with covid, so is the other nurse she was supposed to be on shift with tonight. That’s 2 agency nurses they have to recruit for a ward that is frequently dangerously overcrowded. She is worried sick that on her last shift she had symptoms but still had to work (she can’t not go in for a cold) and looked after 2 seriously ill children. We have also run out of lateral flows and no one has any - even for emergency workers. I am hoping I can pick some up from work for her tomorrow. Yes I would like a plan from the government as this is a complete shit .

CallmeHendricks · 30/12/2021 00:01

Exactly, Herc. We had plenty of children who did very well learning from home.
And it's rather short-sighted of posters on here not to acknowledge that in order for children to attend school, let alone thrive there, the staff need to be in good shape.

noblegiraffe · 30/12/2021 00:03

Schools are better open than remote learning, absolutely.

So you'll also be keen to hear what the government have planned to ensure this happens.

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:04

@Hercisback

That's not what I meant, and you know it. I'm fed up with the narrative that it's only women that are responsible for children, newsflash, it isn't.

Still waiting for your ideas on schools staying open with no staff.

It wasn’t clear at all actually.

And why will there be NO staff? It’s hyperbolic crap. Staff have been off with covid off and on for months no. They aren’t all suddenly going to get it at the same time.

Year groups may have to shut for a week here and there because there aren’t enough staff - that is very likely to be how it is. But unsurprisingly this can’t be planned.

KentuckyCriedFricken · 30/12/2021 00:05

@hulahooper2

One of my family had covid just now , it is not a hoax , ignore boris and please stay at home if you can
If one of your own family had it and you want to avoid it, I would guess that staying at home would be the worst advice.
noblegiraffe · 30/12/2021 00:06

Year groups may have to shut for a week here and there because there aren’t enough staff

Well that's not acceptable, is it? What do the government have planned to stop that happening?

toomuchlaundry · 30/12/2021 00:06

Remote learning was a dream for DS. And I am sure he wasn’t the only one in the country.

I was talking to a teacher the other day and they were saying there is some thought that some form of remote provision may actually be beneficial for some children and that state education may need to adapt in this way to help these children. So don’t write it off. Obviously it would need to be monitored and funded (which probably means it won’t happen)

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:08

@noblegiraffe

Year groups may have to shut for a week here and there because there aren’t enough staff

Well that's not acceptable, is it? What do the government have planned to stop that happening?

I’ll take a random week off if necessary rather than shutting schools completely. It will be what it will be - and frankly there’s little point worrying about it as it will make fuck all difference.
LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:09

@KentuckyCriedFricken that made me laugh 😂

noblegiraffe · 30/12/2021 00:12

I’ll take a random week off if necessary rather than shutting schools completely.

No one wants to shut schools completely. Why would you be happy with them shutting partially? Particularly if your kid was in an exam class.

Why wouldn't you want a plan for this situation? Better than just 'please ex-teachers, sign up for supply!'

Why not at least be wondering why the government doesn't buy air filters?

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:18

Because there are few if any supply teachers; they aren’t going to suddenly appear. Nor is the government going to fund air filters - there’s no point in wondering about that.

I wouldn’t be happy about schools shutting but there is nothing I can do about it, if they do. It is therefore not worth worrying about.

noblegiraffe · 30/12/2021 00:20

Because there are few if any supply teachers

I know that. But it seems there are a few on this thread who are woefully ignorant of the fact.

People saying 'schools need to stay open' need to be asking the government how they intend that to happen.

That means all schools, all year groups.

Mistressiggi · 30/12/2021 00:20

But why not, Littlebearpad? Has to be cheaper than paying furlough. Cheaper than setting up more test centres or advertising campaigns for vaccines.
Not saying these aren't important, but the point is the government does spend money to tackle Covid, just not in schools it seems.

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:28

@Mistressiggi

But why not, Littlebearpad? Has to be cheaper than paying furlough. Cheaper than setting up more test centres or advertising campaigns for vaccines. Not saying these aren't important, but the point is the government does spend money to tackle Covid, just not in schools it seems.
Primarily I think because they don’t give a toss about children. There’s no economic benefit to education (in the minds of many in the Government - not my view!!) and so it gets ignored. Let’s face it appointing Williamson as Ed Sec showed it’s importance to the PM…

My anger at the government’s approach to schools and children peaked a long time ago. I expect very little from them now.

Mistressiggi · 30/12/2021 00:30

All fair points, but I don't think we should ever stop trying to hold any government to account for how they are treating us.

hamstersarse · 30/12/2021 00:35

Another lie, some students thrived during online learning

Define thriving

Fortunei · 30/12/2021 00:36

@Theyellowflamingo

What do you want him to say? There’s already been guidance and most of it is flaming obvious anyway. Unless you think there should be new restrictions, why do you want him to provide a running commentary on the entirely foreseeable consequences of the strategy he has chosen. I only want to hear from a politician if they have something useful to say.
Totally agree
EightWheelGirl · 30/12/2021 00:41

I’ve currently got covid and feel almost back to normal after just an intermittent cough and sore throat for a few days. Was possibly the mildest cold I’ve ever had! Nose was only bunged up for one day and until I did a test I thought I’d just got a sore throat from walking home in the cold.

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2021 00:41

“Despite the shortages, Johnson urged people to get tested during a visit to a vaccination centre. “Everybody should enjoy New Year but in a cautious and sensible way. Take a test, ventilation, think about others but above all get a booster.” He added that Omicron was “obviously milder”.”

From The Times. As any booster will take two weeks to kick in that’s irrelevant to New Year.

Are those who want to hear from him more sure about that? Does it really help - the second sentence above doesn’t even make sense given the tenses used nor is it scientifically literate.

Shallwegoforawalk · 30/12/2021 00:45

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

toomuchlaundry · 30/12/2021 01:00

@hamstersarse my child thrived. He likes school but really liked remote learning, and his school worked them hard, so had full school days plus homework. So it wasn’t because it was a doss. His grades were good and he was Y10 and Y11 through the lockdowns.

He preferred not having distractions in class, no moving between classrooms. He still had social interaction with his classmates at times eg they would work together in pairs using Google classroom and present their work to the rest of the class. He really didn’t suffer at all. I know this wasn’t the case for all children, but he certainly was not the only child that thrived.

After the first lockdown when schools could get some year groups back into school, the majority of parents of the Y10 students asked for remote provision to continue rather than having a few hours here and there in school with various restrictions in place.

He had remote piano lessons during lockdown. The teacher has now moved across country and we have continued the lessons with her.

Tealightsandd · 30/12/2021 01:07

theconversation.com/covid-19-has-spurred-investments-in-air-filtration-for-k-12-schools-but-these-technologies-arent-an-instant-fix-165947

What a shame we didn't do the same. Like the article says, no panacea but a bloody useful aid. It all helps reduce the risks.